Rio Tinto is cleared of any wrongdoing after losing deadly radioactive capsule that fell off a truck in Western Australia sparking unprecedented search
Rio Tinto has been cleared of any wrongdoing after losing a deadly radioactive capsule that fell off a truck in Western Australia, sparking an unprecedented search
- A Rio Tinto radioactive capsule has been lost in WA
- The capsule was missing for two weeks in January
- An investigation has cleared Rio Tinto of wrongdoing
An investigation into how a small radioactive capsule was lost in transit in the Western Australian outback earlier this year has cleared mining giant Rio Tinto of any wrongdoing.
On Thursday, the miner said the Western Australian Radiological Council, which investigated the incident, had found no breaches of WA’s Radiation Safety Act by the company.
“We are grateful to the state and federal governments and all those involved in the successful recovery of the capsule,” a spokesman for Rio Tinto said.
“Our own internal research has identified opportunities for improvement in the selection of radiation meters and the way they are packaged and transported.”
The capsule — which could fit a 10-cent piece — came loose sometime between Jan. 10 and Jan. 16 while in transit from the north of the Pilbara mining town of Newman to the Perth suburb of Malaga.
An investigation into how a radioactive capsule (above) was lost in Western Australia in January has cleared Rio Tinto of any wrongdoing
The capsule dislodged sometime between Jan. 10 and Jan. 16 during transit from north of the Pilbara mining town of Newman to the Perth suburb of Malaga.
It was found almost two weeks later after a search along a 1000 km stretch of road not far from where it started its journey at a Rio Tinto mine.
An investigation by the Radiological Council of Western Australia, chaired by Chief Health Officer Andrew Robertson, is continuing.
The study is being led by the Radiological Board of WA with support from the Department of Health’s Department of Radiation Health.
“The Board will continue to consider issues arising from the investigation to provide input for updates to national safety standards.”
He said amendments to penalties under the Radiation Safety Act were also being considered after it was revealed that the maximum fine that could have been imposed was $1,000.
The capsule was found almost two weeks later after a search (above) along a 1000 km stretch of road not far from where it started its journey at a Rio Tinto mine
The loss of the small capsule made headlines.
The small, round, silver capsule, 6 mm in diameter and 8 mm in height, is used in gauges in mining operations and contains a small amount of radioactive caesium-137.
Dr. Robertson said the capsule contained “quite a large dose of radiation” despite its size, which amounted to “receiving about 10 x-rays per hour.”
It was packed on a pallet at Rio Tinto’s Gudai-Darri mine on January 10, loaded with the pallet onto the back of a semi-trailer and left for Perth between January 11 and 14.
It arrived at an irradiation company in the northern suburb of Malaga on January 16, but the capsule did not go missing until the pallet was unpacked a few days later.
Rio Tinto provided a mobile labor camp to help rebuild the flood-damaged Fitzroy Crossing, in lieu of payment for the cost of the mass search for the capsule.
The capsule contained ‘quite large radiation dose’, which amounted to ‘receiving about 10 x-rays per hour’ (photo, emergency services during the search)
Chief executive Simon Trott said at the time that the $4 million cost was worth more than the cost of the search.
“We really want to support efforts to rebuild the Kimberley after those devastating floods,” he said.
‘[We’re] very pleased that we have worked with the state government to bring forward this solution, to fulfill our commitment to pay for the search for the capsule.”